1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an above ground swimming pool and, more particularly, to an above ground swimming pool structure having an endless top rail which is formed by a plurality of universal coping members interconnected to one another at selective angles for coping an endless side wall of an above ground swimming pool in selective sizes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Present day above ground swimming pools generally have posts and coping structures supporting a single pool panel end to end. However, most such structure rely on nuts and bolts to connect the many posts and coping elements together. On a large pool, the number of posts and coping sections is considerable and, as a result, the number of nuts and bolts that must be utilized is considerable. The labour required for erecting such a pool is, therefore, substantial. Furthermore, the coping members which form an endless top rail are conventionally interconnected to one another at a fixed angle, and the shape and size of the swimming pool depend on the geometry of the coping members. Therefore, the manufacturers have to produce coping members in different geometry for swimming pools of different sizes.
Since the posts and coping members must form an enclosed loop, the elements forming it must be produced with precision. There can be little tolerance when erecting a structure that might measure over 100 feet in terms of the loop being formed.
In order to overcome the problems mentioned above, efforts have been made in the industry. One example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,500, which is entitled ABOVE GROUND SWIMMING POOL, issued to Shaanan et al. on Mar. 2, 1999. In this patent, Shaanan describes an above ground swimming pool made up of a plurality of posts, wherein each post is a blow-moulded unit having a base portion and a top portion with a coping seat. A plurality of coping members, also blow-moulded, are each telescopingly received in one end to the other at the coping seat at the top of each post, and a one-piece fastener engages the overlapping telescopic ends of the coping members to the top of the post. The top of the flexible wall is retained by the coping member against the post. The telescoping connection is adapted to compensate for any imperfections of the blow-moulded coping members, and the simple, one piece fastener that can be utilized with the components of the swimming pools eliminates the necessity of using a large number of nuts and bolts. However, since the telescoping connection of the coping members permits only an axial but not an angular adjustment, coping members in different geometry are still necessary for forming swimming pools in different sizes and shapes.
Another example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,807 which is entitled SWIMMING POOL SUPPORT STRUCTURE, issued to Aymes on Aug. 3, 1993. Aymes describes in his patent a swimming pool support structure having elongate upright members to support elongate top rail members. Each top rail member is provided at an end with a connector for pivotally connecting the top rail member to the upright member at the pivot while threaded bolts are provided for fixing the top rail member to the upright member upon the attainment of a desired orientation angle over the top rail member with respect to the upright member.
Nevertheless, one end of one rail member is attached to the top of one post separately from the attachment of the other end of an adjacent rail member to the top of the same post. Such that, the labour required for erecting the pool is significantly increased, at least doubled, as compared with the labour required to jointly attach a pair of overlapping telescopic ends of two adjacent coping members to the top of one post, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,500. Moreover, since the selected angular position of one top rail member with respect to the post is maintained by hands until the end of the top rail member is securely fastened to the top of the post, a frictional force that is caused from the rotation of the threaded bolt and acts on the surfaces of the post and top rail member in contact with the rotating bolt may change the selected angular position during a fastening action.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved above ground swimming pool support structure that will overcome the problems mentioned above.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an above ground swimming pool support structure wherein universal coping members are provided for pools in selective sizes, therefore, to reduce the manufacturing costs.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an above ground swimming pool support structure with a relatively simple configuration for easy manufacturing and installation.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is a kit provided for an above ground swimming pool support structure. The kit comprises a plurality of posts, elongate coping members and pin members. Each post has a base portion and a top portion, each top portion including a substantially planar shoulder portion. Each elongate coping member is provided respectively at opposite ends with a plurality of holes. The coping members are to be connected to one another at a selected angle and the inter-connected ends of adjacent coping members are adapted to be seated on the planar shoulder portion of the respective posts. Each pin member is adapted for insertion through a selected pair of the respective holes in the respective adjacent coping members to determine the selected angle from a plurality of predetermined angles at which adjacent coping members may respectively be interconnected, so that an endless top rail supported by the posts is formed to cope a side wall to end of an above ground swimming pool in a preselected sizes and shapes.
Each of the coping members preferably includes, at either end, a planar upward joint face and at the remaining end, a planar downward joint face, in which the holes are provided, respectively. The downward joint face of one coping member is adapted to abut the upward joint face of an adjacent coping member and two selective holes in the downward joint face are adapted to align with two selective holes in the upward joint face to permit two of the respective pin members to extend therethrough to determine the selected angle from the predetermined angles so that the adjacent coping members are interconnected at the selected angle.
It is preferable that the holes at the opposed ends of each coping member are distributed in a pattern such that more than one axial position of adjacent coping members relative to each other can be selected when the adjacent coping members are interconnected at the selected angle.
In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the adjacent coping members are maintained at the selected angular relationship with respect to each other using two pins preferably connected by a link member, each pin being inserted into one of the two pairs of the respectively aligned holes, and fastened to the planar shoulder portion of the post using a fastener extending through an opening provided in each end of the coping member. The fastener is a threaded fastener or a one-piece cam fastener that is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,500, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention an above ground swimming pool includes a pool panel having upper and lower edges, connected end to end to form an endless side wall of the pool. The swimming pool further includes a plurality of posts to support a plurality of elongate coping members. Each post has a base portion and a top portion, each top portion including a substantially planar shoulder portion. The coping members are angularly interconnected to one another and the angularly interconnected ends of adjacent coping members are seated at the planar shoulder portion of the respective posts to form an endless top rail supported by the posts to cope the endless side wall of the above ground swimming pool in preselected size and shape.
The angle at which the adjacent coping members are interconnected is selected from a plurality of predetermined angles. This is achieved by means of pin members and holes. The holes are provided at opposite ends of the coping members. Each pin member is engaged with a selected pair of holes in the respective adjacent coping member to determine the selected angle. Each coping member is also provided respectively, at the opposite ends, with an opening extending through the end of the coping member.
The holes at the opposite ends of the coping members according to one embodiment of the present invention, are distributed in a pattern such that more than one axial position of adjacent coping members relative to each other can be selected when the adjacent coping members are interconnected at the selected angle. Each coping member preferably includes at either end, a planar downward joint face. The two joint faces have common plane. The downward joint face of an adjacent coping member and preferably, at least two holes in the downward joint face is aligned with two selective holes in the upward joint face to permit two of the respective pin members, which are preferably connected together by a link member, to extend therethrough to determine the selected angle from the predetermined angles.
The present invention advantageously provides a kit for an above ground swimming pool support structure having universal coping members which can be used in swimming pools in different sizes. All elements, the coping members and posts in particular can be moulded of resin material, especially by blow-moulding, nevertheless, other materials such as aluminum can also be used. The number of moulds for manufacturing the moulded components is limited because of the uniform size and geometry of the coping members, and therefore manufacturing costs are reduced. Compared to the prior art, the pool is simple to erect and the precise angular position of the coping members is easy to achieve. The selected angular interconnection of the adjacent coping members are securely maintained by pins or pin members before the coping members are respectively secured to the posts and, therefore, are not affected by a fastening action, by which the angularly interconnected adjacent coping members are fastened to the top portion of the posts. Furthermore, the adjacent coping members are jointly fastened to the top portion of each post by one fastening action only, and as a result, the labour required to erect the pool is significantly reduced.